India has been seeking to expand its global influence and has set ambitious goals for itself in this regard. For example, last December, India assumed the presidency of the G20, a group of the world's largest economies that aims to promote international economic cooperation. This has been presented as a significant opportunity for India to showcase its leadership and advance its economic and foreign policy goals on the global stage.

India's G20 presidency will also have implications for South Asia. The country's leadership role in the G20 could lead to an increased focus on the region and potentially lead to greater economic integration and cooperation among South Asian countries. Additionally, India's emphasis on the digital economy, climate change, and health could also have spillover effects for the region.

But while India looks outward globally, China, in recent years, has been increasing its presence in South Asia through various means, such as infrastructure development and investment. This increasing Chinese presence in its traditional sphere of influence has been a concern for India, and it has been responding with its own set of initiatives of diplomacy, development, and investment initiatives.

In this episode, PEI’s Nirjan sits with Mandakini Surie to discuss these global ambitions of India, the position it holds in the various Indo-Pacific Strategies to counter the rise of China, and the impact this has on its South Asian Neighbors.

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